Real Life Incident: Engine Crew Member’s Finger Crushed

An engine crew member was assembling the sewage air blower motor back into position after maintenance. He had to lower the motor vertically to align with the shaft below. Since it was a small motor, he thought it safe to align it with his hands while wearing gloves.

Once the motor was aligned, he had to lower it into the slot. While doing this, his grip loosened, and the motor slid down under gravity. The victim’s right forefinger was severely pinched between the motor body and base plate. He was able to remove his finger, but the fingertip was badly mangled.

Lessons learned

• When deciding how to do a job, bear in mind all the hazards and the worst-case scenario. An informal way of doing this is called take five. That is, take five minutes to review the task in your mind’s eye. Ask yourself ‘What could go wrong here?’
• Proper tools or engineering controls are your first line of defence. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the final barrier and may ultimately fail to protect.
• Even the most mundane of tasks can leave lasting scars if proper methods of work are not adopted.